
As requested, the Marine Corps fiscal year 2017 budget will complete the service’s eight-year reduction in end strength to 182,000, which the service plans to maintain for at least the next five years.The Marine Corps met that mark a year in advance of its plans, which aimed for the reduction from a wartime high of 202,000 in 2018. The 2017 request also funds a Marine Corps reserve of 38,500 Marines.The Marine Corps base budget remains relatively flat at $23.4 million,…